John Cooper was a tremendous college football coach. During a head coaching career at Tulsa, Arizona State, and Ohio State that spanned from 1977-2000; Cooper posted a 192-84-6 record and tallied nine conference championships.

Cooper was the head coach of the Buckeyes from 1988-2000. He went 111-43-4 during that span, claiming three Big Ten titles. Cooper guided the Buckeyes to bowl appearances in 11 of his 13 seasons and finished with a losing record only once-his first season in Columbus. Cooper counted wins in both the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl during his time as the Buckeyes’ head man, and played in bowl games on New Year’s Day or later an impressive nine times.

Cooper had incredible success as the Head Coach at Ohio State. The type of success that might have earned him the right to determine his own fate. “Might have” if not for one glaring problem.

2-10-1.

As head man in Columbus, Cooper’s Buckeyes posted just a 2-10-1 record against the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State’s biggest rival.

It wasn’t just that Cooper’s teams struggled in their regular season finale against the opponent alumni and fans despised the most. The bigger problem was that Ohio State’s battles with Michigan regularly determined the final outcome for the Buckeyes’ season.

In 1993, Ohio State entered the Michigan game with a 9-0-1 record, but a 28-0 loss in Ann Arbor cost them an outright conference title. In 1995, Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George lead the Buckeyes back to Ann Arbor with an undefeated record and national title dreams. After a 31-23 defeat, the Buckeyes were sent to the Citrus Bowl instead.

1996 provided the greatest heartbreak for the Buckeyes in the John Cooper era, as they entered the Michigan game again undefeated and ranked #2 in the country. The Buckeyes had a 9-0 lead at halftime against Lloyd Carr’s Wolverines, but ultimately fell 13-9 at home.

OSU would eventually win another game against Michigan under Cooper in 1998, but they never posted back to back wins in the series under his guide. Cooper was fired following an 8-4 campaign in 2000. While academic and off-field troubles surrounding the program played a role in his firing, his record against Michigan ultimately played a major role.

In fact, when new coach Jim Tressel took over in Columbus he made a point to put special emphasis on the Michigan rivalry. After the former Youngstown State head coach was hired by the Buckeyes, he made a memorable halftime speech at a Ohio State-Michigan basketball game, according to ESPN.com…

“I can assure you that you will be proud of our young people, in the classroom, in the community, and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan on the football field.”

Following Sunday’s loss, Harbaugh now holds a 2-5 record against the Ravens’ heated AFC North rivals, including the 2009 AFC Championship Game.

(Every Ravens fan knows that both of Harbaugh’s wins in the rivalry came in games where Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was not on the field. That’s why the 2-5 record may not be such a fair representation.)

In 2008, Harbaugh’s second loss to the Steelers cost the Ravens a shot at the division title and forced them to hit the road in the playoffs. After a hard fought divisional round win over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, the Ravens appeared flat when they hit the field for the conference title game at Heinz Field. Harbaugh’s third loss to the Steelers cost the Ravens a trip to Tampa Bay to face the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.

(Harbaugh’s first loss to the Steelers-a Week 4 Monday Night Football defeat early in 2008-was also a loss that could have earned the Ravens home field advantage had they won the game. Week 4 losses just don’t tend to be quite as agonizing as losses in Week 15.)

Harbaugh’s fourth loss to the Steelers wasn’t quite as crushing. Despite losing in the Steel City in late 2009, the Ravens held on to earn a Wild Card playoff berth via a tiebreaker after the teams finished with matching 9-7 records.

Harbaugh’s fifth loss in the series shapes up to be as crushing if not more than any of the others. Had the Ravens held on for a Week 13 win over the Steelers, they would have controlled their own destiny (and actually held a one game margin of error) to win the division, receive a first round bye and host a playoff game in the divisional round.

The Ravens were a home win over the Steelers away from having a significantly clearer path to Dallas and a chance to again play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy this season.

We know now that the path isn’t so clear.

Had Sunday’s loss been to the Cincinnati Bengals or Cleveland Browns, it would have been difficult for fans to stomach. Sunday’s loss was particularly costly, and it would have left a dark cloud hanging over Charm City no matter who the opponent had been.

Yet because it was a rivalry loss, because it was the Steelers, there is simply no doubt that the black cloud left by the defeat remains darker than anything that came from fires on The Block or in Mt. Vernon.

(As an aside, does anyone see symbolism in the fact that the city has dealt with multiple REAL black clouds after a Steelers loss?)

The fact is, this fanbase CANNOT stomach losses to the Steelers, especially not losses of such magnitude. Losses hurt, but losses to the Steelers are absolute gut punches.

As Drew Forrester and I opined last week on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST, this city doesn’t look at a Ravens loss to the Steelers as a NFL loss. The city tends to look at such losses as a loss to the city of Pittsburgh in general. There’s a natural feeling that it wasn’t a football team that won on Sunday night, but instead the entire Western Pennsylvania area.

It leads to frustration, pain and anger. As I wrote immediately following Sunday night’s game, the ability for fans to be rational goes completely out the window after a loss to the Steelers.

Harbaugh found that out Tuesday night during his radio show on WBAL.

A caller to the show questioned Harbaugh on the job status of DL Coach Clarence Brooks, one of the more respected assistants on the Ravens’ staff.

Harbaugh didn’t handle the question well, chiming back “Clarence Brooks does a great job. We will fight our tails off. If that’s not enough, then find another team to root for” according to the National Football Post.

It wasn’t the only time Harbaugh lost his cool during the show. Again according to NFP, Harbaugh also explained at one point: “if you’re not proud of this football team, then you don’t know football.”

Harbaugh probably didn’t handle the questions the best way he could have. There’s no doubt that his frustration reflected poorly with the fans who were listening, even if his answers were fair.

But the problem wasn’t the response. The problem was the result.

Ravens fans are NEVER going to be accepting of losses to the Steelers.

When the Ravens lose to the Steelers, the fanbase is going to respond poorly. This won’t be the last time a John Harbaugh-coached Ravens team plays the Steelers with major AFC North or overall playoff ramifications. In fact, the majority of the games the two teams will play against each other will be played with a lot on the line.

While college football and the NFL aren’t similar in many ways, this is an area where the rivalry is much like Ohio State-Michigan.

It isn’t just a rivalry because the two teams (or fanbases) don’t like each other. Ole Miss and Mississippi State don’t like each other, but their games rarely mean much of anything in the SEC. Ravens-Steelers games regularly mean a lot in the AFC.

The comparison is something John Harbaugh should really understand. John went to Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor. His father (Jack Harbaugh) was an assistant under Bo Schembechler at Michigan. His brother (Jim Harbaugh) was a quarterback for the Maize and Blue. (Jim’s teams were 3-1 against Ohio State.) Ohio State-Michigan is in John Harbaugh’s blood.

In that way, Harbaugh probably understands well what happened to Cooper at Ohio State. Hopefully that understanding can be transcendent.

If John Harbaugh is going to succeed as the Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens, he is going to HAVE to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.

There’s just no getting around that.

Harbaugh is not in jeopardy of being run out of town like Cooper was at Ohio State.

I repeat, Harbaugh’s job is NOT in jeopardy. Certainly not at this point anyway.

But if he’s going to succeed here long-term, he’s going to HAVE to beat the Steelers. If not, a few annoying calls to a radio show will turn into general discontent, and eventually a much more vitriolic fanbase.

That’s what happened to Cooper in Columbus.

Harbaugh doesn’t have to win EVERY game against the Steelers. Since taking over at Ohio State, Tressel has gone 9-1 against the rival Wolverines, which isn’t a realistic expectation for Harbaugh against the Steelers.

But he has to start winning SOME meaningful games against the Steelers, or the Ravens won’t accomplish the things they need to for Harbaugh to be successful as a Head Coach.

And if 2-5 is a pace that continues for Harbaugh against the Steelers, Harbaugh’s story will likely have a similar ending as Cooper’s.

-G

Comments Off on A Tale of Two Johns: Like Cooper Had to Beat Michigan, Harbaugh Has to Beat Steelers

In fact, I heard that instead of giving away purple towels Sunday night, the crowd at M&T Bank Stadium will be handed t-shirts that read “Duck Fuke.”

Oh, me…

This really is the most exciting game of the year, there’s simply no other way to say it. You can tell from the moment you walk into the building that there is a different excitement and electricity to the week.

It’s palpable.

There isn’t quite the “hurry up and get past it” feel to this week that there was last week leading up to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, or the week before to the Carolina Panthers game.

This week there’s a “hurry up and get there, then please don’t end” feeling.

Which is a measure of good news for the Ravens considering all of the named on their injury report.

Dawan Landry was limited, but the rest of the guys were full participants. It would lead you to believe that McClain is the only player in SERIOUS jeopardy of missing Sunday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Of course, if Michael Oher is suddenly missing from practice TODAY-whatever good news came yesterday gets IMMEDIATELY thrown out the window.

He handled the question better than I would have. My response would have been “Are you effing serious?”

It probably wouldn’t have been “effing.”

A few things before we move on from the Ravens…

-We’ll be back out in Owings Mills today as the Ravens return to practice. Coordinators Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison and Jerry Rosburg. Make sure you’re tuned in to AM1570 WNST throughout the day, checking back here at WNST.net and following us on Twitter (@WNST).

-Did you miss NFL Network Insider Jason La Canfora this morning with Drew Forrester on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault today here at WNST.net to check it out. Some other things you can hear in the Audio Vault include…

And you guys HAVE to feel silly, because I already printed my World Series tickets back when they signed Mitch Atkins. You’re probably going to miss out.

The immediate rumors are that Paul Konerko is probably going to pull a Paul Konerko here. The O’s will offer him a bunch of money and he’ll say “thanks but no thanks.” The word is that because he lives in Arizona, he wants to play for a team that does (at least) Spring Training there.

My suggestion? The Orioles move Spring Training to Tempe. It would at least make me happy. Isn’t that what matters?

If Konerko turns down the money, the Orioles still have to go get SOMEONE. I’m not sure if they’re aware, but Adam Dunn is available. I haven’t heard about them offering him a contract, which is surprising-because he’s pretty good.

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because I (like every Wednesday), can add two songs to the “Greatest Song of All Time This Week” category.

The new honor goes to Dave Matthews Band, who KILLED “Squirm” when I saw them in Charlottesville last Friday. As I’ve said before, there was a time when I didn’t think “Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King” was deserving of the Album of the Year nod it was given by the Grammy Awards. I was TOTALLY wrong…

And TGSOATTW “Retro” version is a nod to the “family” event that is Thanksgiving. Here’s “Dance to the Music” by Sly & The Family Stone…

Of this group, only McClain and Ngata have REALLY been the best players at their position in the AFC this season. Lewis has played at a Pro Bowl level but is leading in votes by reputation. Ed Reed has barely played but also has a reputation. Oher has had an up and down season, but there was a movie made about him.

Duffy points out that other Ravens are deserving of consideration for a trip to Hawaii. Joe Flacco, Anquan Boldin, Ray Rice and Billy Cundiff are certainly deserving of being in the conversation, Terrell Suggs might be as well.

The good news (for people who care about this type of thing) is that the reputation of the organization alone will get more players to the Pro Bowl.

I don’t necessarily care much about which players make the Pro Bowl, unless a deserving player comes up short (like was the case with Jarret Johnson a year ago). Only Ngata and McClain really look like “must” Pro Bowlers this season, so I don’t think I’ll be disappointed when the teams are announced.

You mean to tell me there was an open spot on the Ravens’ practice squad (after they promoted Bryan Mattison and released Scott Kooistra) and yet they DIDN’T sign Emanuela de Paula? RIDICULOUS! (Thanks Guyism!)

And at 3rd, the Ravens are ahead of every other 7-3 team and even the 8-2 New York Jets. Just keep that in mind.

Before we move on from the Ravens, a couple of things…

-We’ll be out at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills today as the Ravens return to practice. We’re expecting to hear from John Harbaugh, Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis and more around noon. Make sure you’re tuned in to AM1570 WNST, following us on Twitter @WNST and checking out WNST.net throughout the day!

-Did you miss Ravens Director of Player Personnel Eric Decosta with Drew Forrester Wednesday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault today to check it out. Some other things you can hear in the Audio Vault today include…

There’s a natural “I’ve heard of this guy so I’m excited about him” mentality that comes with hiring a former MLB manager for a coaching position.

My gut says that Willie Randolph will be a nice addition to Buck Showalter’s staff. That being said, we don’t really have any tangible reason to expect that Willie Randolph will make any sort of significant difference in Charm City.

Unless of course he could play first base and hit 40 home runs.

Of course, the Orioles were looking at Victor Martinez to do those things, right? Ummm…..

As I said this morning, I’m not going to give Andy MacPhail a pass here. If everything we’ve been told is true (the O’s offered 48 million and Martinez accepted 50 million in Motown without giving the O’s the chance to counter), I hope MacPhail learned a lesson.

That lesson is that no player REALLY cares about the team’s late season growth under Showalter and their decent young nucleus.

REAL players want to win and want to make money.

Simply competitive offers won’t get it done. The team is going to have to OVERPAY.

The Tigers themselves had to do it to get Magglio Ordonez and Ivan Rodriguez a few years back. It didn’t seem like smart business at the time, but it eventually helped the Tigers reach the World Series.

They knew what they had to do to get players. Andy MacPhail and the Orioles will have to do the same thing this year.

A lot of folks were upset that last night’s tilt with the Hornets wasn’t available on TV.

Don’t be upset. You didn’t miss a DAMN thing.

This one was never pretty, and seemed downright strange in the second half. DSU actually outscored the Terps 33-32 after halftime, but that was mostly because Gary Williams decided to play with some strange lineup combos, including one stretch where he had nothing but reserves on the floor.

Berend Weijs had a nice night last night. I don’t think Berend Weijs is REALLY an ACC player however. Then again, I didn’t think Dave Neal was an ACC player either.

Maryland returns to action Friday night against Elon, Luke Jones will host a “Turtle Power” live chat during the game.

A couple of games today featuring local teams. Morgan plays a second game in as many days at the Cancun Challenge, as they face North Florida. Towson hosts Navy tonight at the Towson Center-that game tips at 7. Loyola visits Mike Lonergan and Vermont, that game tips at 7 as well.

And if all of that isn’t enough, here’s a picture of Monica Leigh, too! (Thanks The Smoking Jacket!)

As I’ve said ad nauseam this season, it just doesn’t work like that in the NFL.

In the NFL, players literally do nothing all week EXCEPT prepare for that Sunday’s opponent.

Everywhere a player walks in Owings Mills this week, they see pictures of Panthers players like Jon Beason. Every time they talk to a coach, they’re hearing something about John Fox’s schemes.

They might well know that their NFC South opponent is inferior, but they’re still spending an entire week with their single focus on that team.

No one is talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No one is thinking about the Pittsburgh Steelers or the New Orleans Saints.

The ONLY thought process in the building this week is Sunday’s game in Charlotte.

In college football, there are distractions. An Alabama player can hear about Vanderbilt all week in practice, but when they go to class and when they’re sitting around the dorm room; their friends are all saying things like “yeah, but what about that Florida game?”

It doesn’t work that way in the National Football League.

The lecture halls are inside the facility. There are no dorm rooms.

There’s just a focus on Sunday’s opponent.

That doesn’t mean a victory is guaranteed at Bank of America Stadium Sunday. The ball isn’t round. Lots of things can happen.

But if the Ravens were to lose Sunday, it wouldn’t happen because the Ravens were looking past the Panthers this week.

I feel like Tony Pike’s familiarity with the system makes him the better option; but then again-it’s Tony Pike.

More bad news for Carolina Wednesday, as the team was forced to place RB DeAngelo Williams (foot) on Injured Reserve. With Jonathan Stewart and Tyrell Sutton also banged up, expect Mike Goodson to start Sunday.

-The Ravens will be back on the practice field today at 1 Winning Drive, with coordinators Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison and Jerry Rosburg scheduled to speak to the media following practice, as well as RB Ray Rice. Make sure you’re tuned in to AM1570 WNST, checking WNST.net and following us on Twitter (@WNST).

-Did you miss Ravens LB Sergio Kindle with Drew Forrester Thursday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net today to check it out! Other things you can find in the Audio Vault include…

And I think we’re all smart to enough to admit that because he only managed for a third of the season, he DIDN’T deserve the consideration. It of course doesn’t take away anything that he did for the Orioles this season.

You might not know this, but I get a Manager of the Year vote. It didn’t go to Ron Gardenhire OR Ron Washington. Instead, it went to Jodie Marsh. (Thanks Guyism!)

Peter Schmuck addressed this in his blog yesterday. Dan Uggla wouldn’t have been a PERFECT fit for the O’s. They already have a second baseman in Brian Roberts, and there would be a learning curve for Dan Uggla should he be forced to move to third base. He’s also only under contract for one more year.

That being said, the O’s could ABSOLUTELY use his bat in their lineup.

Of course, the Birds could use ANY bat in the lineup. It won’t be Uggla, but there are other bats on the table.

Frankly, the attendance has a lot to do with why new AD Kevin Anderson wouldn’t guarantee Ralph Friedgen’s future despite solid on field performance this season.

The team deserves a great turnout Saturday night for the battle with the Seminoles.

It ISN’T just a game with major ACC Championship Game implications. It’s actually an elimination game for the Terrapins. If they lose Saturday night, the NC State game the following week will be meaningless, as FSU will guarantee themselves a 6-2 conference finish.

Also worth noting that Jamal Barney dropped in 14 points and 10 rebounds for Jimmy Patsos’ Greyhounds in the win; while Travis King lead Randy Monroe’s Retrievers with 22 points in the loss.

Morgan State is an action tonight, as Todd Bozeman’s Bears get another great chance to knock off a major conference opponent when they visit Providence at 7pm. Providence is picked to finish at the bottom level of the Big East this season, and Bozeman already has a win over a Big East team at Morgan State, as he beat DePaul in Chicago two years ago.

And B-It’s time to name a few “Greatest Song(s) of All Time This Week.” First is the “new” version of the honor, which you’ll probably make fun of me for. There’s no reason for me to like the song “What’s My Name?” by Rihanna and Drake, but damnit-I really do…

As far as my “retro” version of TGSOATTW is concerned, I offer an ode to two things. One, the Black Crowes are at Rams Head Live tonight. Two, with the Baltimore Ravens headed to Atlanta to face the Falcons this week, I remind everyone that the Black Crowes are (along with Outkast) amongst the most significant musical contributions we’ve received from the A-T-L. Hard to believe their version of “Hard to Handle” is over 20 years old…

The best Red Zone scoring team in the NFL is the Detroit Lions. The Detroit Lions just so happen to have a 6’5″ star receiver (Calvin Johnson) who has grabbed 8 touchdowns already this season. (They’ve also made a few less trips to the red zone than the Ravens, who are 24th in the league in finding paydirt from inside their opponents’ 20.)

The Ravens just don’t have a 6’5″ star receiver they can lob the ball up towards in the red zone.

This is actually fairly scientific. When you enter the red zone, the field shrinks vertically. There isn’t as much space to find receivers, defenders have less space to cover.

Therefore, teams have to find space in other ways. The best way to do that is to find space ABOVE the ground. That’s where receivers like Calvin Johnson (and Larry Fitzgerald…and Andre Johnson…and Vincent Jackson, etc.) make such a significant difference.

Todd Heap is 6’5″, but just really doesn’t leap like he did at one point in his career. TJ Houshmandzadeh is 6’2″, but plays more like he’s 5’11”. Anquan Boldin is 6’1″ and Derrick Mason is 5’10”.

Without that jump ball threat, it won’t be so easy for the Ravens to improve their numbers in the red zone. Ed Dickson (6’4″) could be the wild card, but he has to continue to earn the trust of John Harbaugh and Cam Cameron just to be on the field.

I don’t expect the Ravens to have another one touchdown in seven trips performance as they did Sunday, but I don’t know that there is a simple solution either.

That being said, both teams are tied for the best record in their respective conferences, and have the one factor that is most necessary to win in the NFL this season…balance.

You can’t help but notice the similarities between Harbaugh and QB Joe Flacco to the Falcons’ Mike Smith and Matt Ryan. You can’t help but notice how the teams have running backs that are similar in style in Ray Rice and Michael Turner.

They’re both really good teams who I have no doubt will be playing in the postseason. But if I was a betting man, my money would say they don’t face off again in Arlington to finish the season.

Thank God Twitter didn’t exist when I was in college. Can you even IMAGINE how many dumb things I’d say? I said enough dumb things on MySpace and Facebook over the years, so I’m just grateful I didn’t have Twitter to worry about as well.

Clearly Ray Rice should have never mentioned that he got a break from an officer and gave him an autograph no matter what the circumstances were. That being said, this is really not a big deal at all. Rice has been a model citizen during his short NFL career, and as long as he gets his window tinting taken care of, he’ll be abiding by all rules again.

This is just a quick lesson in not needing to pass EVERYTHING along via Twitter. A lesson we probably all need to learn at some point.

-The Ravens are back at work at 1 Winning Drive today, but today’s walkthrough is CLOSED to the media before they depart at 2:30 for “Hotlanta.” We’re not departing just yet, so we’ll still have Ravens Reports throughout the day on AM1570 WNST.

-Did you miss Ravens DE Paul Kruger with Drew Forrester Wednesday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault today at WNST.net to check it out! Other things you can hear in the Audio Vault include…

Andrew Brandt (National Football Post/Former Green Bay Packers Executive)-who went around the NFL with Drew Wednesday

While they DID blow out Seattle in their opener Monday night, the Terps were quite sloppy in the victory. Turnovers, missed free throws and failed finishes were all issues against the Redhawks.

The Cougars are going to have familiarity with Gary Williams thanks to Bobby Cremins’ background at Georgia Tech. On top of that, this is a C-of-C team that managed to knock off North Carolina a season ago.

I don’t think the Terps are at risk of losing tonight, but I certainly don’t expect this to be a walkover either.

No matter what, we’ll have the “Turtle Power” chat going tonight at 7pm (the game can be seen on ESPNU with Rob Stone and Jay Williams on the call), Luke Jones (and perhaps Glenn Clark if he can survive his ear infection) will be live from College Park to provide companion analysis.

And while Kriss Proctor would probably do a more than admirable job of filling in for him should he miss the game, I would implore the Mids to make sure they consider all options before settling with Proctor. For example, I think Karol Jaramillo might make a good option as well. (Thanks Guyism!)

And finally, I leave you with this.

Apparently this play from a High School Football game in North Carolina last week lead to a penalty. It should have lead to a penalty for being an effing awesome idea…

That being said, I never REALLY thought Shawne Merriman was coming to Baltimore. We knew John Harbaugh and company weren’t putting in a waiver claim for a guy whose career has been marked by injuries and ineffectiveness in recent years; and I always thought there would be another NFL team that would want “Lights Out” more.

But I NEVER thought it would be the Buffalo Bills.

This is the part where I’m supposed to say, “As far as the Ravens are concerned, they’ll be fine.” Unfortunately, I have no idea if they will or won’t be. They’re 24th in the NFL in sacks right now, and there’s no simple solution for how the number will improve.

But I don’t think Shawne Merriman would have made the difference in-season.

And everything points to the idea that Zbikowski won’t play again Sunday when the Ravens face the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Ravens will be okay at safety with Ed Reed healthy. The other question is punt return, where there was hope that WR Donte’ Stallworth could step in immediately as he is expected to return from a broken foot Sunday.

However, Stallworth was not on the field during the Special Teams portion of practice Wednesday. That doesn’t mean he still couldn’t be involved, but it makes you think that maybe the team is trying to limit how much he does in his first game back.

Should Stallworth not be an option, the job would presumably be Lardarius Webb’s against the Fins.

-We’ll be back out at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills today; and we’re expecting to hear from coordinators Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison and Jerry Rosburg. Make sure you’re tuned in to AM1570 WNST and following us on Twitter @WNST throughout the day.

-Did you miss Ravens FB Le’Ron McClain with Drew Forrester Thursday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net today to check it out. Some other things you can find in the Audio Vault include…

Is there any chance he could still steal 25 bases for the Birds this season?

Or could his brother (Terry Kirby) could return punts for the Ravens?

Otherwise-I don’t really know how much it means to have Wayne Kirby as 1st base coach. Maybe he’s a GREAT addition, maybe he’s just an addition. It’s hard to really make a statement like that at this point.

It IS kinda cool to have a first base coach whose baseball cards I definitely collected a ton of however.

I dated a girl who went to Shepherd. I know way more about Shepherdstown, West Virginia than I’d ever want to admit. There’s a Clarion Inn there. Don’t ask me any follow up questions to that statement.

For the record, the girl I was dating was NOT Raica Oliveira. If it was, you could ask me as many follow up questions as you wanted. (Thanks Guyism!)

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because it’s time to name “The Greatest Song(s) of All Time This Week.”

As I posted on Facebook last night, the retro version of TGSOATTW is the song “Wounded” by Third Eye Blind. There will never be a day when the song won’t mean the world to me…

As far as the NEW version goes, I also showed my hand on Facebook last night. (A reminder that you can be my friend on Facebook by searching “Glenn Clark” and adding the goofy guy in the pink shirt who is dancing at a wedding.)

When we look back on 2010 in the future, there is no doubt in my mind that we will remember it as “The Year of Cee-Lo Green.” For as great as “F*** You” is, there’s something even more amazing about “Old Fashioned”…

On one side, I ABSOLUTELY think David Cordish will create a world-class facility. I think it will be outstanding both on the interior and the exterior; and I think it will attract money from both inside the Old Line State and from elsewhere. His track record makes me believe he’s going to do a hell of a job.

On the opposite side, I also think the vote is an unquestioned blow to the state of horse racing in Maryland-at least for the short term. Immediate slots revenue at Laurel might not have been the BEST solution for the future of the sport in the state, but it was probably the best option right now.

The issue now is all about what the Maryland Jockey Club and MI Developments do moving forward. They’ve stated that this will mark the end of live racing at Laurel Park, with Pimlico instead hosting 40 days of live racing in the Spring.

While that might be a necessary move, it clearly isn’t the best option for the sport. The MJC (and MID) will have to go back to the drawing board and consider other options. Is it time to shift focus to a new track? Is it time to explore options for slots in Baltimore? Is it time to think about how the facilities could be better used?

I do not believe this has to be the final nail in the coffin for the sport in the state. But I DO believe it has the potential to be if the folks involved aren’t willing to immediately change course.

I’ll say this much. If I was the GM of the Ravens, I’d pass on “Lights Out.” I think risking a roster spot in season on a guy whose career has been marked in recent years by injuries and ineffectiveness is a questionable judgment at best.

But I’m not saying that because I believe the team doesn’t have pass rush problems.

The team has MAJOR pass rush problems-there’s absolutely no question about that. I’m worried that there might not be an in season fix for the Ravens.

But I DON’T think the answer should include taking a risk on a player who is surrounded by more question marks than the book “Are You My Mother?”

Now-could Shawne Merriman end up in Charm City? Maybe. There’s almost no chance any NFL team claims him off waivers, so he’ll be available. If he passes a physical and is humble enough to understand that he isn’t the Pro Bowl player he was at the beginning of his career-maybe he’s a fit.

We knew this-but now we don’t even bother having to mention it anymore.

The Ravens aren’t interested in Randy Moss…even if they should be. To me, this is one of those “right player, wrong time” situations.

Randy Moss would be the PERFECT compliment to Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason and Donte’ Stallworth (I’ve never thought TJ Houshmandzadeh was a logical fit myself); but it’s not something that can be forced.

If the Ravens had an offseason to meet with Moss and discuss his role and what their expectations were for him-they might be in a place where they could feel more comfortable in adding him to the mix. But adding a player like that in the middle of the season is dangerous.

-A reminder that we will be out at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills today, as the Ravens return to the practice field. John Harbaugh, Joe Flacco and others are scheduled to meet with the media following practice-you’ll hear from them throughout the day on AM1570 WNST and at WNST.net.

-Did you miss Greg Gumbel with Drew Forrester Wednesday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? He’ll be at M&T Bank Stadium Sunday to call Ravens-Dolphins for CBS. Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net today to check it out! Some other things you can hear in the Audio Vault today include…

Lomas Brown (ESPN)-who went around the NFL with Drew Wednesday

Craig Calcaterra (“HardballTalk”-NBCSports.com)-who wrapped up the MLB season with Drew Wednesday

I will admit that I’m surprised. I’m not stunned, but I’m surprised. I thought Juan Samuel made a statement about what he was going to do moving forward when Buck Showalter was hired-so I didn’t expect him to end up back in Orange and Black.

Of course, Samuel likely thought there was a chance he could end up filling one of the managerial vacancies around Major League Baseball. Clearly this news means that he’s not in the picture for the Pittsburgh Pirates job, and the Milwaukee Brewers decided to go elsewhere when they hired Ron Roenicke yesterday.

As it appears that he’s coming back, hopefully he’ll be able to make a contribution. Sadly, I don’t think that contribution will be 30 home runs.

The inappropriate joke of the day would be something along the lines of “Well-at least the Bison players didn’t have to hear any trash talk from the Terrapins at Comcast Center while they were losing…”

I wouldn’t say that though, because I’m not inappropriate.

Exhibit A: It would be inappropriate of me to NOT pass along this picture of Sofija Milosevic. (Thanks Totally Crap!)

And finally, I leave you with this.

This is the end of a real live Canadian Football League game. Honestly. I don’t understand any more than you do (Thanks Deadspin!)…

My gut says both guys will play, but I feel stronger about Stallworth than Gooden right now. The Ravens not only need a different option at WR (Stallworth POTENTIALLY gives them a speed threat), but they really need a punt returner-especially with Tom Zbikowski still out of practice while he remains in a walking boot.

As far as Gooden is concerned-there is at least a chance the Ravens could choose to hold him out for another week given the depth they now have inside with Brendon Ayanbadejo healthy and with Jason Phillips having played well on Special Teams. But if Gooden is fully healthy-and he looks like he’s pretty close-he plays.

At that point, the Ravens have to find seven true scratches again to go with an injured Zbikowski. The likely names are Scott Kooistra, Dennis Pitta, Ken Hamlin, Arthur Jones, Lamar Divens, Jason Phillips and David Reed, as they’re the guys who have been inactive at times during the first seven weeks of the season.

Which is better than the alternative, but clearly doesn’t matter much.

The bottom line is that there is little chance the Ravens make it through the rest of their schedule without at least two more losses. They have tough games at the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans; as well as dates with the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. A more realistic expectation is probably an 11-5 finish.

The Steelers’ schedule doesn’t appear to be quite as tricky. The Ravens are the only team with a .500 or better record that they still have to face away from the Steel City. They do have to welcome the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders and New York Jets to Heinz Field; but that schedule sets up much better.

That’s why the Steelers’ loss to the New Orleans Saints Sunday night was significant. If they had won that one, they would have been in UNBELIEVABLE shape to win the division. At this point, it looks like the two teams will be in a dogfight.

(Note: This is Week 9. In a month, all of this could be different. In fact, it probably will be.)

During one of my first overnight DJ shifts back at WHFS, I forgot to turn my mic off after introducing a White Stripes record (I think it was “Seven Nation Army”) and listeners throughout the Old Line State were blessed with the opportunity to hear my variation of Jack White.

Why would I ever listen to that aircheck again? Mostly to make fun of myself. Why would Fabian Washington watch the tapes of getting abused by Lee Evans? He probably did it to get BETTER.

If the Ravens for some reason choose NOT to return Fabian Washington to his starting spot Sunday against the Fins, I would have to recommend they consider Ximena Navarrette. (Thanks Guyism!)

-Did you miss former Ravens head coach Brian Billick (NFL Network/Fox Sports) with Drew Forrester Tuesday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you hit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net today to check it out. Some other things you can hear in the Audio Vault include…

Nick Faust (City Guard/#25 ranked prospect)-who joined Drew Tuesday morning to discuss his commitment to head to College Park in 2011

And coming from someone who ventured down to Comcast Center, it was a real thriller. Trust me.

That being said, it was certainly MUCH better than it could have been.

This team is going to be able to get up and down the floor quickly and they will certainly be able to find ways to score points. There’s an argument that Jack McCallum might write his follow up to “Seven Seconds or Less” about Gary Williams’ team.

The real question is whether or not the team is going to be able to shoot. Last night they were just 4-12 from beyond the arc and 18-30 from the free throw line. It goes without saying that those numbers will need to improve.

That being said, they look like they have an identity post-Greivis Vasquez. That’s good news thus far.

I wholeheartedly agree. Patrick made a comment last night that this might be the most athletic group assembled in College Park since the Steve Francis/LaRon Profit/Juan Dixon/Terrence Morris team in 1998-1999.

That team was most remembered as being a team that never minded throwing up an alley-oop; no matter where they were on the floor. Of course, that wasn’t necessarily always a good thing.

If we remember, that team was eliminated (in semi-embarrassing fashion) by St. John’s in the Sweet 16 because the Red Storm were an OUTSTANDING defensive team lead by Ron Artest. Should this Maryland team figure out a way to reach a similar level in the NCAA Tournament, it would be an incredible overachievement.

-On the basketball side, it was announced before last night’s game that Sean Mosley and Dino Gregory would be the team’s captains this season. It was a LITTLE bit surprising considering Mosley is only a junior and both Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie are seniors; but Mosley has a reputation for being a solid practice player and might have more “emotional leader” in his blood.

It also means that the Terps now have two captains from Charm City to go with two of the three assistant coaches on their staff (Bino Ranson, Keith Booth). But someone without a brain will still try to mention that Maryland “cares more about DC than Baltimore.” Lord.

-Also in basketball, the team will hang a banner honoring last year’s ACC (Co) Regular Season champions before next Monday’s season opener against Seattle.

-In football, the ACC announced kickoff times and TV for the team’s next two games. They’re game against the Miami Hurricanes this Sunday will kick off at 12pm and will air on ESPNU. Next Saturday’s trip to Charlottesville to face Virginia will kickoff at 3:30pm and will be seen on ESPN3.com. Hard to generate interest when no one is seeing the games…

Well, if he could help a lowly team like the Rangers win the World Series, just imagine what he could do with the Birds!

(Edit from GMC: Apparently the Rangers did NOT win the World Series. I will be forced to admit that I didn’t watch last night. I chose fake college basketball and Monday Night Football instead.)

I’d offer an opinion here, but it would be misinformed. I don’t REALLY know how much Rick Kranitz did for this team. I do know that the Orioles young pitchers steadily improved last season, so Kranitz might deserve some credit there.

I know LESS about Mark Connor-other than the fact that he shares a name with my 7th grade history teacher. Don’t ask me why I knew my 7th grade history teacher’s full name-and DEFINITELY don’t ask how I remember it.

Yet somehow “JWoww” from Jersey Shore was left off the list despite wearing this for Halloween…

Finally, I leave you with this.

In honor of Election Day, I’ll pass along my favorite sign from Saturday’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” at the National Mall in DC. This guy literally made this sign and brought it to a rally. If there wasn’t a legal definition for “awesome” before, there is now…

Defensive players (like Terrell Suggs) noted that they supported the concept of protecting players, but that they couldn’t afford to alter the way they played the game.

Offensive players (like Willis McGahee) were clearly much more supportive of the idea. Willis joked that he wished Steelers safety Ryan Clark had been given a heavier punishment for his hit in the 2009 AFC Championship Game.

But players on both sides were together in the having only a small level of awkward, uncomfortable support for the strengthening of punishment towards guilty parties.

The real issue is that while players WANT to be protected, they don’t want it to come at a potential monetary cost.

This issue isn’t going away anytime soon. It’s going to be continuously debated until the offseason and the negotiation of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Players don’t want to give ANYTHING up. As Ray Lewis pointed out yesterday, they need to “fight it”, even if they might agree with the theory at heart.

And if you think players are divided on the issue now, wait until the first player is suspended for this type of hit. If it’s Dannell Ellerbe, or Haruki Nakamura, or any of those players-it will be an even bigger issue at 1 Winning Drive.

And that is CLEARLY a welcome sight to Ravens fans, there’s just no question about that.

That being said, there really is no guarantee that Ed will be on the field this Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. My gut says he will-but my gut also says that it could be a more responsible decision for John Harbaugh and company to hold him out and buy themselves two weeks for Ed’s health (and the health of LB Brendon Ayanbadejo-who also returned to practice yesterday) and to make roster decisions.

The one thing that NO ONE can argue with is the fact that the Baltimore Ravens improved yesterday with the return of Ed Reed.

Willis maintained that he wasn’t punished. That’s fine. My guess is that the truth is somewhere close to that, but maybe not EXACTLY that.

In the meantime, Willis also made a point that by not going through as much wear and tear behind Ray Rice as he did earlier in his career, he’s adding years to his career. That’s a great attitude to have-I hope he really believes it.

And like I said, I would have been more than willing to trade Willis McGahee. To Dallas. For Cliff Lee.

Short of that, the Ravens ABSOLUTELY did the right thing in holding on to their veteran back.

-We’ll be back out at 1 Winning Drive today, so make sure you’re following us on Twitter (@WNST), tuned into AM1570 WNST and checking WNST.net for updates. We’re expected to hear from coordinators Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison and Jerry Rosburg.

-Did you miss Ravens punter Sam Koch with Drew Forrester on “The Morning Reaction” Thursday on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault at WNST.net today to check it out. Other things you can hear in the Audio Vault include…

I feel like this is probably the range where I’d have the Terrapins myself.

I don’t get the feeling they’re going to be a BAD team by any stretch of the imagination. They have plenty of returning talent-starting with Jordan Williams. The question for the guys returning is whether one of Cliff Tucker, Sean Mosley or Adrian Bowie can become a consistent scorer. We’ll have to see.

The other question surrounds trying to get contributions from the newcomers. Mike Parker looks like the guy with the most raw talent, but Ashton Pankey and Terrell Stoglin could be quicker to contribute in their roles.

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because I get to name a couple new “Greatest Song(s) of All Time This Week.”

Have you heard the new Kings of Leon CD “Come Around Sundown”? NO? This is no one’s fault but your own. You’re missing “The End”…

And in the “retro” category, TGSOATTW is my current Facebook status (add me as a friend by searching “Glenn Clark” and clicking on the best looking guy you find). It’s the amazing “Hunger Strike” by Temple of the Dog…

The more you looked at the hit, the more you realized he was very deserving of being HEAVILY fined. Meriweather’s hit was ABSOLUTELY in the “cheap shot” realm-the type of hit that the NFL will be looking to lay out a suspension for moving forward.

With Heap having come back into the game Sunday-it appears as though he’s fine and it seems like we can move forward from Brandon Meriweather-gate.

Now-and a tip of the hat here to KDKA in Pittsburgh-the league IS doing something right in cracking down on hits where a player leads with his helmet. In order to that, it is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE and frankly downright SHAMEFUL that they are currently selling this picture of James Harrison’s fine inducing hit on Mohamed Massquoi…

John Harbaugh is ABSOLUTELY right in this case. The Ravens’ failure to execute on big plays-mixed with New England’s consistent execution-were why the Ravens lost the game Sunday.

Sadly, Cam Cameron had nothing to do with Billy Cundiff kicking the ball out of bounds, or Le’Ron McClain’s personal foul, or Tom Brady finding Rob Gronkowski for 24 yards on 1st and 25, or Chris Carr not catching a Zoltan Mesko punt.

Those plays lost the game Sunday.

But that’s the end of it. As of this moment, I’m not discussing it any more.

The shame is that the entire team can’t be there. Brandon Stokley (Seattle Seahawks WR) has a game Sunday and Shannon Sharpe, Brian Billick and Tony Siragusa are broadcasting for CBS and FOX. Unfortunately, the Ravens do not have a home game this season that isn’t on a Sunday, so there really isn’t a game where the schedule would work out better.

And I’d like to take this time to honor these guys as well. To do so, here’s a picture of Petra Silander. Thanks Guyism!

Which means I’ll have an annual opportunity to be flamed on Deadspin. Count me in!

Before we move on from the Ravens, a couple of things…

-The Ravens return to work at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills today, and we’ll of course be back out there with full coverage. Ed Reed and Brendon Ayanbadejo are scheduled to return to the practice field; and we’re expecting to hear from Harbaugh, Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis, Ray Rice and others while we’re out there. Stay tuned to AM1570 WNST, follow us on Twitter @WNST and make sure you’re checking WNST.net throughout the day!

-Did you miss Yahoo! Sports NFL analyst Jason Cole Wednesday with Drew Forrester on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault today here at WNST.net to have a listen. Some other things you can hear in the Audio Vault include…

Hear that sound? That’s the sound of me ripping up the World Series tickets I had already purchased for 2011.

Eh. Maybe instead Andy MacPhail and the Birds will spend their money on a real pitcher like Cliff Lee. I mean, I know they won’t-but it’s early and I’m tired. I guess I must be dreaming.

While we’re on the O’s, I wasn’t NEARLY as worked up about the Robinson Cano home run last night as some fans were. I giggled thinking about Jeffrey Maier, but it certainly didn’t anger me.

I love seeing the New York Yankees lose-TRUST ME on that. I was grinning from ear to ear. But unless it was Tony Torasco standing in Right Field, it wasn’t going to bother me that the Yanks got a questionable call.

If it had been Tony Torasco; I would’ve walked around Perry Hall Middle School completely dejected today just to remember the feeling.

And it looks like Ralph Friedgen is going to try to get Jamarr Robinson to learn the “Josh Portis Package”, so hopefully Robinson will actually take some time and learn the playbook.

Sticking with O’Brien seems to be the best way to go for the Terps, as he looks like he’ll give them the best chance to win. My guess is that a win won’t come against a tough Eagles defense Saturday in Chestnut Hill; but he might give them a chance to win next Saturday against Wake Forest.

It’s a little bit more than Debbie Yow was making, but I think that was to be expected. The salary might also say something about why they went with Anderson for the top job in College Park instead of one of the rockstar names (UConn’s Jeff Hathaway, Oklahoma’s Joe Castiglione) who probably make more money staying where they are.

I feel like if I were putting together a contract for a significant job, it would read more like a concert rider than it would a real contract.

“Mr. Clark requests 4 Vitamin Waters and a table of Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in his suite for every game at Byrd Stadium.”

Sure it would probably cost me some cash, but it would be freaking AWESOME.

You don’t expect that this will make a difference against the Fighting Irish, but given that the last three games in the series (including two wins for the Midshipmen in South Bend) have all been decided by six points or less, this clearly COULD have an impact.

The bigger issue will be whether Ricky Dobbs and the Mids’ offense is back on track after a big second half against SMU. If so, this is certainly a winnable game in East Rutherford Saturday.